Are Razer keyboards any good?
Razer keyboards are manufactured to a high standard with gaming enthusiasts in mind so their professional gaming models cost quite a bit more than say your average Logitech keyboard.
Razer keyboards are predominantly mechanical keyboards priced in the $100+ price range but they do also sell a limited range of membrane keyboards in the $40 range.
Are Razer keyboards better than other brands?
Razer keyboards are aimed at a very specific market – gamers. That means it’s only fair to compare their keyboards with other similar keyboards from companies like SteelSeries and Corsair, for example.
It is not fair to compare their keyboards to a standard membrane keyboard from Logitech or Microsoft, for example, because they’re very different input devices created for a very different audiences.
If you’re looking for a cool-looking mechanical keyboard and mouse set, then Razer makes some of the most popular on the market but be prepared to pay for the privilege of owning them.
Is Razer a good brand?
Razer is a California-based company that started out as a subsidiary of a company called Karna. By 2000, Karna was no more and Razer emerged as a computer peripherals brand in its own right.
Although Razer does list their company’s startup date as 2005.
Razer’s first product was a professional gaming mouse named “The Boomslang” but they then expanded into designing and manufacturing keyboards, gaming monitors, and even gaming laptops, later in their business life.
The market had never seen anything like the Boomslang up to this point – gaming mice didn’t look all that different from standard mice. In fact, most gamers just used standard mice instead.
And while other companies do manufacture gaming mice, it’s fair to say that Razer dominates that particular corner of the gaming market.
Do Razer keyboards work with Mac?
Yes, Razer keyboards will work with a Mac but you will need to rebind the CMD and CTRL keys under ‘System Preferences. This is the beauty of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard – anything with a USB port should, in theory, be capable of supporting a USB device.
Do Razer keyboards work with Linux?
Yes, you can use a wired Razer keyboard with Linux but they’re not supported by default within any standard Linux distro. So, unless you’re an experienced Linux user you might be better off choosing another brand of keyboard for your Linux box.
Do Razer products have a high failure rate?
There was a period around 2013 when Razer keyboards experienced a very high failure rate, but this only affected their keyboard products and not their gaming mice.
As of the time of writing, the only evidence around Razer keyboard failure rates is anecdotal.
No company wants their customers to end up with a broken product because that’s the quickest way to go out of business. When you see a very high failure rate in a specific type of product it’s a fault in the manufacturing process and not the core product itself.
When this happens, companies either rejig their manufacturing processes or just entirely relocate their manufacturing facility, sometimes to another country.
Are there fake Razer keyboards?
Because of the nature of copycat manufacturers in China producing direct ripoffs of products they manufacture for companies like Razer, it’s pretty much unavoidable to find fake Razer keyboards on the market. But these would appear to be a very rare thing because I’ve yet to see proof that one exists.
Popular Razer Products
So, what are the most popular Razer keyboards out there right now?
Razer Huntsman Elite
The Razer Huntsman Elite is a high-end gaming keyboard with clicky optical switches (yes, they use light sensors so you get speed-of-light response times), internal sound-dampening foam, and comes in either a full-size or tenkeyless form factor.
Razer Blackwidow
First launched all the way back in 2010, Razer Blackwidow keyboards were and are still the go-to classic Razer gaming keyboard. Full-size form factor, clicky tactile mechanical switches, RGB lighting, and programmable macros make for a very satisfying gaming experience.
Razer Deathstalker
This is an ultra-slim, tenkeyless, wireless mechanical gaming keyboard with looks that kill. It also features optical switches for lightning-quick response times. You also don’t have to deal with the usual lag you get with wireless gaming keyboards thanks to Razer’s ‘Hyperspeed’ wireless technology.
Deathstalkers are also available in a full-size form factor, but the most popular variant appears to be the tenkeyless model.
